I'll Keep You as my Secret
by Niamhinwonderland
Summary: Being stuck with Gilbert Blythe during a freak snow storm wasn't Anne's idea of a good time. What happens when temptation gets the best of her? Modern AU, GGF AU. T for now, but may go up depending on how the story goes.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is my first story ever here and I hope you really enjoy it. I know that this whole 'trapped together in a storm' has been done before, but I'm hoping my version is a little different. I have decided to have this set in modern times with some settings taken from the Green Gables Fables webseries universe. I hope you all stick around for the entire story and I can't to see your response!

Chapter 1:

Anne Shirley looked across the kitchen table at her partner Gilbert Blythe. Unfortunately, she had not chosen the boy sitting across from her, and the odds had certainly not been in her favor when their History teacher decided to randomly draw the pairs for the project. So now here she sat in her kitchen with Gilbert Blythe.

Outside the snow was falling, and had plans of continuing well into the night. There was already two feet on the ground with many more to come. Both had already experienced Canadian winters, but this one was supposed to be the worst winter in centuries.

"Well I'm going to head home." Gilbert said. "We can finish the rest during free period tomorrow."

"Sounds good." She replied shortly.

He gathered his things trying to be quick to avoid the awkward silence.

' _Bzzzzz'_

Both of their phones went off simultaneously. The buzz, a storm warning.

 _'Storm Warning: Temps to fall to -20 Celsius. Approx 3 feet of snow to come. Driving ban in townships including Regina, Rouleau, Wilcox, Avonlea, Milestone, and Kayville '_

 _'Great.'_ He sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow Anne."

"Where are you going?"

"Home. I want to avoid the storm."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but the storms already here. Besides, didn't you read that there's a driving ban?"

"I did, but I just want to get home."

"Yeah, you're going to freeze out there and then you'll get arrested for disregarding the driving ban."

"Well then what do you suggest I do?!"

"Stay here until the storm breaks. I may not be your biggest fan, but I'm not going to let you freeze to your death. Besides, Marilla would kill me if I did."

"How kind. Where are the Cuthberts any how?"

"Marilla is volunteering at the shelter in Rouleau...I doubt she'll be able to get back here by tonight. Matthew is in Wilcox for something work related."

"And they left you home alone?" He said with trying to keep from laughing.

"I would watch your words, I could still leave you out to freeze."

"Yeah whatever."

"I'm going to make some food if you want some."

"Sounds good."

Anne rustled around the kitchen trying to find a meal that both her and Gilbert would enjoy. The fridge still held leftovers of last nights dinner, which she hoped would suffice for now. She prayed that this storm would pass quickly; not only did she not want to be stranded with Gilbert Blythe, but she was unsure if they would have enough food to last them more than a few days.

She finally settled on the leftover stew that Marilla had made last night. She warmed the stove and watched carefully to avoid burning their meal. She hadn't spoken to Gilbert much, opting to text Diana instead of dealing with a conversation, but she knew that sooner or later she would have to start conversation.

Despite her coldness to him, Gilbert still attempted to make conversation with Anne. He didn't think he could bear an evening with her if it were filled with silence and misery.

"It smells nice….what are you cooking?" Gilbert asked interrupting her thoughts.

"Marilla made stew last night, I'm just warming it up."

"That sounds delicious. I'm sure it'll keep us warm in this weather." He replied. "Do you need any help?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay. I guess I'll just finish my math assignment."

They ate in silence, both focusing on the stew on their plates. Gilbert would occasionally glance at Anne, who was preoccupied with her phone. He knew she was avoiding him, still adamant on ignoring him as punishment for their first encounter, but he couldn't help but to try and make amends. That was why he offered to do the washing up and even cleared the table. He knew that, that alone wouldn't get him into her good graces, but hopefully it was a start.

* * *

The snow was still falling while they watched tv, occasionally the news ticker would slide across the screen with closings and weather warnings. They had learned that the entire Avonlea school district was closed meaning they had more time to work on their project.

By 11pm, Anne had set up the sofa for Gilbert to sleep on and made her way up to her room. She was surprised at how little she bickered with her nemesis. She was also surprised at how poised and kind he was being despite him being stuck in a storm with her. Shaking her head, she got ready for bed and hoped that the snow would soon cease.

Sleep wouldn't come, she was restless. Her window let in a draft giving her a chill, keeping her from sleeping. By 2am, she had completely given up and gathered her blankets and pillow to sleep on the love-seat in the living room. Gilbert had already claimed the sofa and was probably sound asleep in front of the fire. She scurried down the stairs and found him asleep on the sofa.

She looked at him for a split second and couldn't help but stare. He looked so peaceful asleep. The light and shadow of the fire across from him gave him a mysterious air. Shaking her head, she placed her blankets and pillows down and tried to fall back asleep. But still, her thoughts kept moving to the boy laying on the sofa next her. She turned her body to face him; still asleep, she got a tempting idea.

Getting up from the love seat, she crept over to him and knelt so that she was in front of his face. She stroked his face and could feel the light stubble. She traced his features lightly before planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Feeling a little more daring after the first kiss, she kissed his lips. To her surprise she felt a puff of air come from his mouth and his lips responding. She felt his hand tangled in her hair and hers in his. Soon he pulled her upright so that she could sit on his lap. Her legs straddling him, skin touching, and the heat rising, they lost control.

The kiss went on until they both needed air.

"What was that?" She murmured.

"All I remember is waking up to your lips on mine..."

"Sorry. We can pretend that it never happened."

"If that's what you want?"

She nodded and rushed back to her side.

He didn't argue, didn't breathe a word. He could only think of her lips on his and how the redhead who had infiltrated his life woke him up in the best way possible. Sleeping was impossible now.

The next morning, with school cancelled and the driving ban still up, Anne and Gilbert were once again stranded together. When Anne looked out of the window, she could see the effect of the snow; Gilbert's car nearly submerged beneath the snow, the barn doors sealed shut by the ever growing mound of snow. With more snow on the forecast, they would no doubt be stuck here. For much of the morning, she avoided him like the plague, so when he was in the bathroom she made herself a quick breakfast and scurried up to her room. The closest to conversation they got was when Anne offered him meals. But this couldn't last, they would be stuck together until the ban was lifted or until she went crazy and banished him to the frigid cold.

In an attempt to start a conversation, Gilbert decided to challenge her to a board game match. He knew that it was the only way to loosen her spirits up and remove the silence between them. So Scrabble it was...the game brought out both of their competitive sides and soon the conversation and mild trash talk emerged.

"Oh come on, that's not even a word!" He complained.

"It so is a word!" Holding up her phone to his face. "See that there? According to . it's a word!"

"Fine, you win this round, but your reign of victory won't last forever."

"Mmmm, I'm pretty sure it will. After Jane, I'm the Scrabble champ in our circle of friends."

"Well my goal is to steal that title right out from under you!"

"Puh-lease! I'd never let you win against me!"

"Don't be so sure of yourself now!" He replied with a wink.

The wink of his eye sent a chill through her, bringing her back to their early morning encounter. His soft lips on hers, his hands at her waist and in her hair, the memory was too much. She was embarrassed and ashamed that she let herself be foolish enough to assault him like that...she didn't even like him!

"I'm going to make some hot chocolate." She exclaimed quickly standing from her spot to bolt to the kitchen. "You want some?"

"Sure." He replied.

And once again, the silence filled the space between them.

The rest of their afternoon was spent in separate worlds. Anne had all but barricaded herself in Matthew's study with a book and Gilbert had taken on his chemistry homework.

* * *

Tonight, he decided to help Anne with dinner. They were keeping it simple with canned soup and sandwiches, but it still let them interact. Waking up to her kiss was like a dream come true. The girl of his dream kissing him in reality was something he couldn't ever forget, but of course Anne pulled away and wanted to forget the whole ordeal. He only agreed to keep the peace between them; she already disliked him, and if he didn't agree who knew what would happen.

Their proximity in the kitchen felt like fire. Accidental nudges and hands grazing each other made trying to keep their distance difficult; they were magnets being pulled closer and closer until once again they were kissing. Soup and sandwiches disregarded, Gilbert picked her up and sat her on the table. He stood between her legs and felt her legs wrap around him and pull her close. Her warm fingers grazed the bare strip of skin between his jeans and hoodie before completely venturing underneath the hoodie.

"Anne…" He gasped pulling away from her kiss. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?!" She exclaimed, lips swollen and hair mussed.

"I don't want you to regret anything. Didn't tell me you wanted to forget about what happened this morning?"

"You're right. I'm sorry I threw myself at you. Let's just eat our dinner and watch some tv afterwards."

"Don't apologize, you didn't throw yourself at me." He responded.

They ate in silence once more, each stealing glances at one another. Anne had no idea what was wrong with her, but all she wanted to do was kiss Gilbert Blythe despite her better judgement.

After dinner they sat on the sofa to watch TV. The Avonlea school districts were once again closed and would be closed for the next week, the 5 feet of snow outside also meant that the driving ban was still in effect until further notice. Once again, they would be stuck with each other.

"You going to sleep down here again?" Gilbert asked.

"Probably. There's a draft in my room and it's freezing!" She replied.

"I can check it out for you if you'd like?"

Having him up in her bedroom was strange and thrilling for Anne. She'd never had a boy in her room before in the past, and even if this boy was Gilbert Blythe. She watched him check the window, oblivious to her gaze on his body. She was half tempted to pull him onto her bed, but kept that little bit of control that she still had.

"It looks like it's been frozen over, so we won't be able to actually close it until after the weather breaks." He replied. "We can always put some plastic sheeting over it, to keep the draft out, or you can sleep downstairs."

"Well, the plastic sheeting is in the back shed…" She replied hopelessly looking out at the snow barricaded shed in the yard. "Downstairs it is."

"We can always put on a movie…"

She shrugged and led the way back to the living room.

So that is it for chapter 1! I hope you've enjoyed it so far and I hope you stay tuned because I have so much more planned. Chapter 2 should hopefully be up in a few days or next week depending on how fast I can write it out. And if any of you want to doubt the weather inclement I created for this story, it's a very real thing that happened to me this past year...just look up Orchard Park NY 2014 Snow, and you'll see my town covered in snow...luckily I was stuck with my boyfriend and we actually had a nice time off of work.


	2. Chapter 2

Responses to the comments:

 **Kim Blythe:** Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I've been reading AOGG stories on here for forever and I thought it was about time to create a profile and start my own story! Anne and Gilbert are in their senior year of high school (grade 12) so that makes them 17 about to turn 18.

 **Rebeccathehistorian:** Yay another GGF fan! Firstly, thanks for taking the time to read and comment and secondly, it takes place around that time. Definitely after Josie's 'Grow Up, Ppl' vlog because that's when their romantic tension really starts to grow.

 **Anonymous Guest:** I'm glad you like this story so far! I'm really enjoying writing it and I can't wait for you to read more!

 **Mariaisherelove:** Thank you for reading and leaving the lovely comment. This story will definitely grow and hopefully become more interesting.

Okay, here we go on chapter two! I really hope you enjoy the continuation of what's going on with our favorite duo. Also, please feel free to leave any suggestions in the comments!

Chapter 2:

They sat beside each other, choosing the floor instead of the sofa to watch the marathon of 'Law and Order'. The show was good for passing the time and keeping their mind off of the storm and each other.

"Anne, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"You don't have to answer it if it makes you feel bad, but were all of your foster families bad?"

"Not all of them I guess...I was with the Hammonds the longest, so I remember them the most. But I had another foster family who was pretty great before they passed away, I was really young though so I can't remember too much."

"When I saw you talking about your past thanksgiving in your video..."

"You watch my videos?"

"Yeah."

"All of them?"

"Even the one where you deemed me 'the most infuriating boy you'd ever met.'"

"Oh god..."

"No, don't worry about it. What I did to get your attention was admittedly childish and rude."

"Yeah, but making a video rant about it is equally childish and rude."

"It's not, you had every right to be upset. I didn't know how sensitive you were about your hair..." He replied. "I actually like you hair, a lot."

"You do? You're not just saying that?"

"No, I do. Karen Gillan, Felicia Day, Emma Stone all gorgeous, and all of them redheads." He confirmed. "I've always liked redheads."

"Gilbert…" She interrupted.

"Hmmm?"

"I think I'm going to kiss you again…."

"What?!" He replied before being stopped by her lips on his.

This kiss was different than the other two. This one wasn't rushed or manic as the other two. He held her face in his hands and slowly kissed her as if he were making the moment last forever. His tongue peeked out of his mouth and traced the entrance of her. Granting access, he could now taste the mix of hot cocoa and doublemint chewing gum.

When they both needed air, their kiss came to an end; but this time, each was certain this would not be their last encounter.

"I'm guessing we should probably talk about what we have to do now…" Gilbert sighed.

"Yeah, we do don't we?"

"Well I guess Josie was right about our 'romantic tension'..."

"Ugh, I forgot about her. She's going to rub it right in our faces if she finds out."

"Yeah, I've known Josie Pye all of my life and she's most definitely the 'I told you so' person in the group."

"Well I'm not giving her the satisfaction, she can't find out!"

"I'm pretty sure she'll notice if we're together."

"She won't if we don't say anything about it…" She began. "Hear me out; what if we keep this just between us...not forever, but for now at least. Maybe we could say that we've put our differences aside after being trapped together in the storm and that we're now friends…"

"I kind of see where you're going with this, but what's the point. We're not living in Victorian England, no one would care if they found out what happened."

"I would care. Listen, I'm pretty sure I like you...but I don't want people to think badly about me. What would they say if they found out that we're in a relationship after one night together?"

"Fine. We'll keep it between us, that means no telling Diana either."

"Fine by me. We should probably set up some ground rules." She offered. "Okay, first rule is we tell no one. Friends and family included; I won't tell Marilla, Matthew, Diana etc. and you won't tell your mom and dad or friends."

"Got it. Should I be writing these down?" He teased.

"Haha. Second rule, no touching when we're out as a group and also we have to sit the furthest from each other." She added.

"Noted. Since you created the first two rules, then I get the next two."

"All yours."

"Third rule is for appearances sake, we are single. If someone asks us about our relationship status, we're single."

"Wouldn't that just give us free reign to see other people?"

"True, but I don't want to see other people Anne. I will only be seeing you, but if someone asks me if I have a girlfriend, I'll say no. which brings me to rule number four. Rule number four is that we have to both agree on a date for when we'll tell everyone about our relationship."

"Okay. Those seem reasonable." She agreed. "And I also don't want to see other people." She added.

* * *

The next morning, there was a spark in the air. Her and Gilbert were in a relationship...if you could call it that. The snow had also stopped, but was still 6 feet in height meaning that they still were trapped with each other. This time though, it sent a rush of excitement through them.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Gilbert asked Anne, who was still curled up on the couch.

"You're the guest, you don't need to be cooking." She half scolded.

"Well I watched your carrot cake vlog...I don't think I should be leaving you alone in the kitchen."

"Very funny. It was any easy mistake to make."

"Still not letting you make breakfast." He replied. "What do you want to eat?"

"Scrambled eggs and toast, if you're being generous."

"Eggs and toast it is."

They ate breakfast in front of the tv, watching the news report on the storm. Like Avonlea, the towns of Wilcox, Kayville, Milestone, and Rouleau were just as bad in snow and cold as they were; Regina was lucky and had gotten away with 3 feet of snow.

"I wonder when the driving ban will be lifted?" Anne pondered aloud.

"Are you that eager to get away from me?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes. "As much as I like being stuck here with you, I would like it to get back to normal…"

"Hmmm and describe normal to me?"

"Matthew sitting in his chair in his study while I work on my homework, Miss Stacey's class at school, lunch with Jane, Diana visiting me.…" She explained. "It's nice having things to look forward to."

"That does sound nice." He agreed. "Yeah, I'd really like to get back to my mom's apple pies that she's not doubt baking right now. I'm also actually missing hockey too."

She grimaced at his mention of hockey.

"Woah! Was that a grimace?!" He exclaimed.

"I'm not really a fan of hockey…"

He gasped in mock horror. "I cannot believe this right now...how you can call yourself a Canadian is beyond me. Stephen Harper just heard you right now and is crying into his maple leaf jersey."

"Is it too late to change my mind about this whole relationship thing?" She teased.

"Yep! Besides, you could never give up this face now that you've kissed it."

"Mmmm, I'm pretty sure I could."

He leaned in close to her, close enough that his lips just barely grazed hers. He could feel her posture melt into his arms, preparing for his kiss. He planted one small light kiss before turning back to watch tv.

"Hey, what was that?!"

"You just said that you could resist kissing this face."

"I can!"

"Well then you shouldn't be complaining." He teased.

"I wasn't complaining, I was just shocked." She snapped. "And I can resist from kissing you. In fact, I won't kiss you at all today."

"Are you sure about that?"

She nodded defiantely.

The first few hours went off without a hitch. If anything, Anne was stubborn and would stick to her guns to prove a point. But, she had forgotten that Gilbert was equally as stubborn; of course, he'd let her think she'd won those first few hours, but he was sure she'd cave soon enough.

Together they worked on their project, had lunch, and even watched youtube videos. Occasionally, he'd hold her hand or put his arms around her to snuggle her close to him. When he first did it, she froze, unsure of how to react to this new situation, but shortly after she found it comforting and nice being in his arms.

"I know what you're doing…" She sighed.

"Hmmm?"

"You're trying to get me to cave." She replied. "The hand holding, the cuddling...I won't cave and I'll prove my point…" She said with a defiant smile.

"Well I guess I'll have to cave then…" He responded by giving her a kiss.

She responded to his kiss with no hesitation, placing one hand on his face and the other in his hair. He leaned her back so that she was laying on the couch and he over her. Her leg swung over his and kept him aligned to her body.

 _Riiinnggg_

They both looked up in shock, interrupted by the ringing of Anne's phone. Reluctantly, she removed herself from her spot beneath Gilbert and took her phone from the side table.

"Hi Marilla." She greeted enthusiastically.

"Hello Anne. How is everything back at home?"

"The same since you last checked in. We've managed to get our homework and project done so we're all caught up, and the house isn't on fire."

"Good. Are you a least treating the Blythe boy well?"

"Gilbert?!"

"Yes, what other Blythe boy would be there with you?"

"Sorry. We're getting along. I think we're starting to put our differences aside."

"That's good to hear. Well, it's clearing out slowly here in Rouleau. I expect the driving ban to be lifted by tomorrow."

"That's great, I can't wait for you and Matthew to come back home."

"We can't wait to be home either." She replied. "I'll see you soon."

"I can't wait. Bye."

"I'm assuming that was good news?" Gilbert questioned once he noticed Anne ending the call.

"Yeah. She said that the driving ban should be lifted in Rouleau by tomorrow."

"That means it's back to normal…"

"Yeah." She replied less than enthusiastic.

"Hey just because our being stuck together in a snowstorm is coming to a close doesn't mean this is ending."

"I know, but it'll just be weird going back to normal."

"Weren't you the one excited for everything to return to normal?"

"I was...I am, it's just that I didn't expect it to happen so quickly."

"Well then, we should make the most of tonight then. Our homework and project is done, so we don't have to worry about that. I'll make us an awesome dinner, you pick out a few movies, and we'll have the best last night alone ever."

She smiled at his enthusiasm and his effort to get her out of her slump. She agreed to his plan and let him take lead on the evenings activities.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Responses to Comments:**

 **Mariaisherelove:** **Thanks for commenting and reading! I'm so excited and nervous for GGF season 2. I have my waterproof mascara ready for the tears that will definitely be there!**

 **Rebeccathehistorian:** **Thanks for reading and leaving a review! It's funny how they think they're so clever right now, but obviously it's not going to be the walk in the park they thought it would be!**

 **Hecalledmecarrots:** **I literally screamed when I saw that you reviewed! I'm obsessed with your stories and have commented as just 'guest' but now that I have an account, you'll be seeing a lot more from me. Thank you so much for reading and leaving your kind words, it means a lot!**

 **Kim Blythe:** **It really is a must watch! It's nice seeing a modern perspective of Anne of Green Gables especially since the original was written in such a traditional and conservative time period, I definitely recommend watching it! Thank you for reading and for leaving a review!**

 **(A/N Sorry it's taken me longer to update this fic, I've recently found out that my boyfriend and I are expecting baby number two, so it's been quite insane. I've also had a touch of writer's block with this story, so I had to step back a little and focus on other stories in order to get back into this one! Thanks for sticking by!)**

* * *

Their last night together was only beginning. Anne had found as many blankets and pillows and set them up in the living room into a makeshift bed. Meanwhile, Gilbert cooked their dinner. It was a hodgepodge of frozen foods and whatever was in the cupboards and fridge, but it still resulted in an extravagant meal for the two teens.

The lights were dimmed and the only visible light came from the television. The first movie on their list was Harry Potter.

"I love this movie!" Anne sighed. "The books are obviously better...but I always hoped I'd end up like Harry..."

"Fighting you know who?"

"No...I mean, he was orphaned when he was just a baby. I remember when I'd first read the books, I'd imagined that my parents were magical and that I was a witch..." She laughed softly.

"I see you more as Ginny..."

"Because I'm a ginger?"

"No, although it doesn't hurt. Ginny in the books is smart, tough, and isn't afraid to speak up."

"That would make you Harry then, wouldn't it?"

"Nah, I've always been more like Neville..."

"Yeah, I see it...you're way too cocky to be Harry." She teased. "Besides I totally thought that Hermione and Harry would end up together..."

"I prefer the term confident...and you're right about Harry and Hermione. Especially in the movies...Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe had waaayyy better chemistry."

"True. So what's the next movie?!"

"I sort of thought we were just going to marathon Harry Potter, unless you want to watch something different?"

"Nah, we should stick to Harry Potter!"

They sat through two more Harry Potter movies before they decided to take a break. Gilbert offered to take care of the dishes that had been left over from their feast, while Anne checked her Youtube page.

"So, now that we're friends does that mean I get to be in your vlogs?"

She shrugged. "Do you want to be in them? I don't really want to force you too much."

"It would be cool, but it's all up to you. It is your vlog after all."

"Perhaps soon you'll be getting a guest billing on my vlogs then…"

* * *

The pair had fallen asleep side by side on the living room floor. The heavy blankets and the body heat kept them cocooned from the morning chill.

Gilbert was the first to wake, but kept snuggled beside Anne, not wanting to return to 'real life' any time soon. He grinned as he noticed her bedraggled red braid sprawled across the pillow, he also noticed that she slept with a slight frown on her face, as if she were thinking about something deeply while she slept.

He shut his eyes and snuggled closer to her hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

When Anne woke, she found herself surrounded by Gilbert's arms. At first, she was shocked, still a little uneasy about this new relationship with her former nemesis, but she soon forgot her worries when she recalled their last few days together and their conversations. She reached for her phone and saw a text from Matthew and from Marilla.

Marilla would be arriving back home at 5pm once the roads were cleared, while Matthew said he would return the next day.

She sighed in relief knowing that her and Gil would have just a little more time together, alone.

"Good morning!" She smiled once he was up. "Marilla texted me, she won't be back until the evening."

"Good morning to you too. Guess that means we'll get a little more time then."

She nodded. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"You don't need to cook for me. Do you have milk and cereal?"

She nodded.

"Then, that sounds great."

"Cheerios it is then!"

* * *

The rest of their day went by too fast for either of their liking. It reminded them of the reality that they would have to face sooner rather than later.

Anne was worried that it would be impossible to hide their relationship. They were so friendly now that she knew someone would say something about it...especially Josie Pye.

'Ugh' She thought. 'She's going to make this so difficult.'

She kept replaying her video over again in her head. Even though she had been right about the chemistry shared between her and Gilbert, she did not want to see Josie's cunning and 'I told you so' smile.

Then she thought about Diana. If Diana found out that Anne was keeping this large secret about her relationship, she would be very upset. Diana was her best friend and they told each other everything.

Meanwhile, Gilbert was more worried about keeping his hands to himself. Being this close to Anne; holding her hand, stroking her cheek, playing with her hair, kissing her, had become second nature to him. Not being able to show his affection for her would be like losing a limb. He was generally good at keeping secrets and keeping a straight face, but he was certain that this would be more difficult.

* * *

Soon enough, it was back to normal. Marilla had arrived home and found the two reading in the study.

They looked at each other sadly, knowing that Gilbert would soon be driving home to his parents.

Marilla had left them in the study alone, meaning they would be able to say goodbye in private.

"Don't look so glum Anne, we'll have time together again." He whispered as he hugged her. "My parents work most of the time, so you could always come home with me after school and we can...study."

"I know, but it'll be different."

"I know. Being here with you felt so natural…" Pulling out of the embrace, he looked into her sad eyes. "We'll be okay!"

"We will." She agreed. She gave him a quick kiss, not wanting to get too carried away, especially with Marilla only being a few doors down.

"I'll text you when I get home."

"Okay. Drive safe."

She walked with him to the front door and watched him drive away.

She checked on Marilla, and found her in the kitchen.

"I'm glad you and Gilbert Blythe have put aside your difference. It shows that you've matured." Marilla mentioned.

"Me too. It was silly staying upset with him for so long."

"He hurt your feelings, sometimes it's easier to dislike someone instead of finding a person's true colors."

"Yeah...I actually think I forgave him awhile ago. I guess I was just too hung up on my insecurities that I didn't want to let go."

"Well, you've taken the high road and have forgiven him, which is what really counts."

"Thanks Marilla. Do you need any help with dinner?"

"That's alright. I'm sure you cooked plenty while you were snowed in."

That night, her and Gilbert texted until it was nearly two in the morning. School would be closed until Tuesday, meaning that they would have a long weekend to adjust to their new plan.

* * *

 **(A/N sorry for the shortness of the chapter. The next chapter will be the start of the awkward, relationship hiding, and I can assure you that will be great!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N Hello again! Sorry for the late update. I've been super busy with work and family stuff. Also, I was involved in a minor accident, but everything is fine...except for my car. I'm about 15 weeks along now and we don't get to find out the sex of baby #2 until I'm 20 weeks along, but we're all very excited. Hopefully I can update a little faster for you guys, I'm really not happy with how much I've been putting off writing and updating, but I really am trying to get better at that.)**

 **HeCalledMeCarrots: Thank you so much for reading and the well wishes. I'm so glad you've started watching GGF. I was iffy too about starting it at first because I love Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie, but Mandy and Tanner are a dream together!**

 **KimBlythe: Thanks for the review and the well wishes and I apologize for the shortness of the chapter. I'm trying to make them longer but sometimes my brain runs out of steam and stops me. Definitely keep an eye out for Green Gables Fables. It's simply amazing and definitely takes a realistic approach to modern day Anne and Gilbert!**

 **RebeccatheHistorian: Thanks for the review! They think they're being so slick and sly and in the beginning they are, but that'll obviously fade as time goes by.**

 **OldMovieWatcher: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!**

* * *

Anne woke up Tuesday morning with a sense of dread. It was back to reality today, and although she knew she could handle keeping a friendly distance and demeanor from Gilbert, she still had the same underlying doubt.

Still, she got ready as she always did.

 _Bzzz_

Her phone buzzed, signaling a text message from Gilbert.

' _Morning. Can't wait to see you, we'll do fine, I promise.'_

 _'Morning to you too. Could you sense my nerves all the way from your house?'_

 _'lol no. I'm feeling nervous too, so I figured you'd probably be feeling the same. Do you want me to pick you up this morning?'_

 _'Not yet. I think I'll have Marilla drop me off for the next few weeks until we've built a believable friendship.'_

 _'Yeah, you're probably right. See you in school then.'_

When she arrived at school, she found Gilbert sitting in with their group of friends.

"It sucks being back in school..." Josie whined to Charlie.

"Yeah, it was nice sleeping in all those days." He replied. "What did you get up to Gilbert?"

"I was snowed in with Anne..."

"How are you still alive?!" Charlie teased.

"We've called a truce, if you're interested to know." Anne jumped in after catching the sly smile on Josie's face.

"Although she did nearly kill me the first two nights." Gilbert added.

"So does that means you're friends now?" Jane asked.

"Friends is a strong word Jane, I guess you could say we're acquaintances..." Anne informed.

"Well at least we won't have to deal with your petty arguments..." Jane sighed in relief.

Anne rolled her eyes and smiled.

The first bell rang signaling the beginning of their first class. Anne gathered her belongings and was on her way to her class when she felt herself being pulled under the staircase.

"Gilbert, what the heck are you do..." She began but was quickly interrupted by his lips.

"I haven't kissed you in 4 days." He replied between kisses.

"Someone is going to catch us," She warned.

"Okay, okay. Hands are to myself again. I'll see you next period then..."

"See ya next period." She gave his hand one last squeeze before resuming her way to class.

The day went on without any other surprises. Gilbert had kept his promise and kept his hands to himself and they stuck by the rules. At lunch, they sat at the same table, but at the opposite ends. They spoke civilly to each other and tried to remain a little distant from each other as to not alert anyone of their relationship change.

* * *

The first month of their relationship passed by with no problems. They gradually grew closer in their friendship making it believable to their friends that they were only friends.

It was now February, the snow had yet to melt, but in Saskatchewan it was typical to have snow far into March. Graduation would soon arrive, causing the 12th graders of Avonlea to panic at their impending future.

Anne and Gilbert were seated in the library, spending their free period together as they often did. Jane had calculus, Ruby and Josie were stuck in Economics, and Charlie and Moody had P.E. making their free period their time together.

"I'm staying after school to work on the chemistry assignment, do you want to too?" He whispered.

"Sure. I was having trouble with it anyways. I guess I can go the resource center and they can help out."

"Or I can help you..."

"That too...I mean it wouldn't look suspicious at all. We're easily two of the more studious kids in our year."

"And now that we're acquaintances, it would look as if we're taking the high road." He added.

"Then yes, I will stay after with you."

When the final bell rang, Anne headed straight to the library to meet Gilbert. She quickly found a table where she could set her stuff down while she waited for Gilbert. She wandered around the books and browsed the titles she had yet to read. As her hands grazed the titles, she felt a tap to her shoulder; turning around she saw Gilbert.

"Are you ready to start studying?" She asked.

"One minute." He replied before leaning in and kissing her.

She responded right away and pulled him closer to her. They didn't get much time alone; occasionally, he would drive her to school and they would sneak in a few kisses, they would also steal some time during free period if they were truly alone; but for the most part, they remained separated.

They finally separated when they need to catch their breaths.

"I feel like I haven't kissed you in weeks." He sighed.

"I know, it's hard hiding this..."

"Then maybe we shouldn't."

"Gil, we agreed that when we were both ready and agreed on a time..."

"I know, I know. I just want to be with you, take you out on a date, hold your hand in public..."

"Soon, I promise."

He tried not looking disappointed, the girl of his dreams was so hesitant and her walls were built high. Still, he would wait as long as possible for her. "My parents are going to be out tomorrow night...do you want to come over?"

She nodded. "It'll be nice to have some time together. And, I promise to make the effort to spend more time with you...I know I've been keeping my distance, it's just that I'm not used to this...I've never really been in a relationship before." She admitted. It was impossible with her past. She never stayed in one place for too long, so if making friends was difficult, then finding a boyfriend was impossible.

"I know, I just want you to let me in a little bit. You don't need to tell me everything, but you can talk to me you know?"

"I know, it's just I've never really had someone who I could share things with...believe me, not even Diana knows things about my past. I'm not used to it yet."

"That's okay."

They worked on the chemistry assignment without too many interruptions. The library was fairly empty, leaving them to have enough privacy to let their masks fall.

Gilbert sat close to her and freely brushed the bangs out of her eyes and looked at her as if she was the only one in the world.

* * *

The next day they drove to his house directly after school. Anne told Matthew and Marilla that they would be working on a project, and while that part was true, she never mentioned that his house would be free from adult supervision and that they had entered into a relationship during the storm. Either truth would make it difficult for them to see each other.

When they arrived, they went straight to his room, eager to spend time alone together. After a few kisses, they were snuggled on his bed together.

"We should start working soon." Anne sighed.

"You're killing the vibe Shirley." He teased.

"Shut up." She replied.

"How you wound me with your words!" He smiled before kissing her once more. "I want to take you out on a date." He said after breaking the kiss.

"Why?"

"Because, I want to spend with you without having to hide."

"Everyone in Avonlea knows us…"

"There are towns that are only a half hour drive away, we could always go there…"

"That actually sounds nice. When would we go?"

"Next week maybe. We can always say we're going to Ruby's house to watch movies or Janes…"

"Have you been planning this all along?"

"A little bit. I don't want us sneaking off just to see each other."

"But wouldn't we be sneaking off to see each other in a different town?"

He rolled his eyes. "I just think that if we were to try our relationship in public somewhere else, it would make it easier when we become public about it."

"Hmmm." She responded giving it a quick thought. "When did you become the smart one." She teased.

"Have to be smart to keep up with you." He replied.

They worked on their project for an hour before deciding to order a pizza and returning to their previous activities. The TV was on and they were once more in his bed, their arms around each other. Kisses were exchanged every once in awhile, but for the moment, they just enjoyed their time alone.

"What time do your parents get home?"

"8:30, so that gives us a few more hours."

"Still, I should probably get home soon. I don't know if Marilla would be too happy with me if I stayed here too late."

"Are you getting sick of me already." He teased.

"Well, I can only handle you in short spurts of time." She teased in return.

"I didn't hear any complaints during the storm...in fact you're the one who attacked me."

"You didn't complain either, did you?"

"The girl of my dreams kissing me. Yeah, there's nothing to complain about there."

"I'm the girl of your dreams?" She replied shyly.

"Of course you are Shirley. Why do you think I tried getting your attention so much?"

"No one has ever said that to me...ever."

"Yesterday you said you'd never really been in a relationship before, is that true?" He asked, her statement reminding him of their conversation.

"I never had the chance before. Being a foster kid makes it impossible to make friends, so having a boyfriend is basically unthinkable." She explained. "Being here in Avonlea has changed me so much. I was always so lonely before; don't laugh, but I had an imaginary friend until I was 12."

"I wouldn't laugh at that Anne. I'm glad you came to Avonlea, I really don't think it would be the same without you here."

"Thank you Gil, that really means a lot to me."

By 7:30, they decided it was time to end their night together. Gilbert dropped her off, but promised that he would have the best first date planned for them by next week. She gave him a quick kiss before exiting his car and dreamily walked to the front door.

She couldn't believe that Gilbert Blythe, the one she called 'the most infuriating boy', was the one who was sweeping her off her feet. But people changed, didn't they? She sure had and he was really trying to show his real side to her.

That night, they texted non-stop until they fell asleep. Their conversations ranged from their friends and school, to university, even their future plans. Both prayed that their future included one another.


End file.
